Counterculture within a Counter-Culture: New Zealand, Psychedelic Rock, and the Moral Guardians of the 60s and 70s

ABSTRACT

New Zealand started as its own counter-culture, and its history of state-controlled broadcasting, conservative Britishness, youth delinquency and drugs meant that “the” counterculture of the 1960s played out very differently to elsewhere. Psychedelic rock fared the worst of all, and the reasons for this are manifold. Numerous artists experimented with psychedelia, but the music of the counterculture became caught in a period of accelerated change. Despite a late showing of music festivals and hippiedom, many artists had already moved away achieving success overseas, and the 80s seemed to arrive in New Zealand before the 60s had entirely run its course.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Perhaps the greatest book ever written on the history of New Zealand music was by John Dix, in 1988, called Stranded in Paradise. It was updated several times, but the first edition is by far the most raw and revealing, capturing beautifully the influences and development of local music in the country. In 2010, Chris Bourke wrote the excellent Blue Smoke, which covers the early history of music in New Zealand succinctly.

2. Dunedin is the second largest city in the South Island, which has strong music and sporting cultures. It generally has a median age somewhat lower than the national average, due to many students living there in order to attend the University of Otago, the region for which Dunedin is the principal city. Near the bottom of the island, Dunedin has a rather cold winter climate and is known for its Scottish influences.

3. Hamilton is in the upper North Island, the principal city of the rural and agricultural-based region of Waikato, and is the fourth most populous city in New Zealand. With a generally humid and warm climate, Hamilton is New Zealand’s largest inland city. It has a higher than national average population of indigenous Maori, and a strong representation of research- and science-based institutions.

4. Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city and located near the top of the North Island. Named “The City of Sails,” it features much coastline and is the most temperate of New Zealand’s main centers. Auckland has always been the most multi-cultural of all New Zealand cities and, since the 1980s, has increasingly become the main centre of New Zealand’s commerce.

5. Christchurch, the country’s most conservative city, is discussed later in this article.

6. Wellington is New Zealand’s capital city, and home to the government, Supreme Court, and most of the civil services. Despite this, it is still less conservative than Christchurch and has always had a strong representation in New Zealand’s gay right movements. Wellington is nicknamed “the Windy City” and is situated at the lowest point of the North Island. A very hilly city, it boasts colorful architecture, including Art Deco, and is home to the country’s national museum, Te Papa.

7. The ability to record in the 8-track format did not arrive until 1971. Only 16 years later, the EMI studios and pressing plant were closed in 1987, which saw New Zealand no longer producing records. This had a significant effect on the country’s music scene, from which, arguably, it never recovered (McLennan).

8. In 1960, NZBS started the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation, but this was still controlled by NZBS. For consistency, references will remain to the parent NZBS in this article.

9. Among a veritable surge of 1980s neo-liberal policies, the Broadcasting Act 1989 and Radiocommunications Act 1989 came into force; thus, the New Zealand media environment went from what many saw as being nanny-state controlled, to one of the most deregulated markets in the world (Shanahan and Duignan).

10. Lewis Yablonsky‘s The Hippie Trip has to be one of the most honest and detailed first-hand experiences of being in the field.

11. Notably, Jay Stevens‘s brilliant Storming Heaven (1987), Barney Hoskyns‘ detailed Beneath the Diamond Sky (1997), and John Markoff‘s What the Dormouse Said (2005).

12. Sydney is Australia’s most populated city and the state capital of the New South Wales. Its climate is warm and humid, with some world-famous beaches nearby. Sydney is very much a “world city,” and has always been a significant center of commerce, shopping, and entertainment. It also boasts the world’s largest “span bridge,” the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and is home to the oldest museum in Australia. Sydney is one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most popular tourist destinations.

13. Ngaruawahia is located in the upper North Island and is a little over an hour’s drive south from Auckland. It is located within the Waikato region, which is predominantly a rural farming district. Hamilton is a 20-minute drive from Ngaruawahia.

14. Golden Valley is just North of Waihi, which is a town in the Hauraki District, at the bottom of the Coromandel Peninsula. Waihi is a little less than 90 miles (or two hours drive) from Auckland, and on the east coast of the North Island.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andrew J. Sepie

Andrew J. Sepie spent 16 years working in commercial radio as an announcer and programmer. He is a trained and experienced audio engineer and has been involved with the music industry for many years. He has degrees in sociology, religious studies and radio broadcasting, having taught sociology, popular music and culture, religion, collective behavior and intentional communities. His interests also include general crime, the Holocaust, Cold War, and American and German history.